This collection of essays celebrates the contribution of John Tudno Williams to the church, to biblical scholarship and teaching, and to the culture of Wales. Written by biblical scholars, historians, theologians, and authorities on Welsh culture, the papers gather around the central theme of the Bible: its interpretation and exegesis and its place in hymns as well as in the visual culture of Welsh Presbyterianism, in theological colleges, and i ...
How did the community we glimpse in the New Testament become an institution quite willing to have the emperor Constantine as a primary public partner? By tracing the use of resources, titles, and functions of leaders and patterns of honor giving, Wheatley traces from a wide variety of sources both acceptance and revision of Roman patronage in this countercultural community. Along the way, it is possible to see dissident groups like the Montanist ...
Where did Paul find leaders for his new churches? How did he instruct and develop them? What processes took place to stabilize the churches and institute their new leadership? This book carves a fresh trail in leadership studies by looking at leadership development from a group-dynamic, social identity perspective. Paul engages the cultural leadership patterns of his key local leaders, publicly affirming, correcting, and improving those patterns ...
We yearn to be accepted and loved for who we really are. Unfortunately, we sabotage our efforts to develop successful relationships when we feel threatened. We play manipulative games with each other, protecting ourselves without realizing it. These subtle games are crippling our relationships. Let's Stop Playing Games addresses this issue with some serious fun, helping us: oexpose our unhealthy games and why we play them; oenjoy ...
What does it mean to be created in the image of God? How can the existence of evil be explained if we believe in a good and loving God? What is the precise meaning of the notion of original sin? How can God transfer the guilt of humanity to one innocent individual, or should we rather dispense with the notion of penal satisfaction? The first part of Created in the Image of God grapples in a concise manner with these and other elusive and controv ...
Matters pertaining to our Lord's second coming, heaven, hell, and associated topics are often set aside by Christians, sometimes for very understandable reasons. Dogmatic predictions based on bizarre calculations from the Bible, and equally zealous disciples aggressively promoting their view point as the only right interpretation of Scripture, have caused many believers to lose interest in this wonderful aspect of biblical truth. In A New ...
Parktails is an adventure that takes place in the aftermath of a great forest fire. Once the fire is extinguished, the animals of Geyser District, led by Zornova and Gondzor, are forced to confront numerous difficulties. Many of these displaced animals become despondent as a result of the loss of homes, relatives, and friends. As part of their attempts to find answers, they send parties of their representatives to oracles in search of answers an ...
"What is the purpose of theology for the church?" Systematic theology provides an inroad into this question by offering both a method for doing theology and an explanation for the purpose of that method. However, «system» is itself the product of a specific understanding of knowledge grounded in rational demonstration of facts. This study attempts to address the historical debate over when systematic theology began. Much of the debate is ce ...
One of the most perplexing and misunderstood books of the Bible, Ezekiel has left many scholars and exegetes scratching their heads regarding its message, coherency, and interpretation. Brian Peterson's look at the book of Ezekiel as a unified whole set within an exilic context helps explain some of the more difficult symbolic aspects in the book and makes Ezekiel as a whole more intelligible. Drawing on ancient Near Eastern concepts and mo ...